


Sense and Sensibility

by ineffablesheep



Series: This Is Not Jane Austen [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Atypical Daemons, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Daemons, Developing Friendships, Gen, Hydra (Marvel), I've written out these tags twice now because ao3 insisted on eating them, If I've missed anything please let me know, It's just a sweet moment of bitching and some dark humour to help cope, Its light but I figure I should tag it anyway, Past Torture, Past Violence, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Steve Rogers is not a good bro, Steve and Wanda don't appear but they're important to the fic so I tagged them, Swearing, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wanda Maximoff is an adult, dark humour, not wanda maximoff friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 15:11:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19212022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablesheep/pseuds/ineffablesheep
Summary: "You got pissed off in front of Steve, didn't you?""Of course I did! She'd already eaten and I was late before cleaning her mess and she went and took my food! None of the others said anything either. Like I get it, I'm not Steve, I'm used to functioning at my best on the bare minimum of food but even fucking Hydra didn't steal my meals out from under me."His stomach chose that moment to rumble louder, as if to illustrate the point. James couldn't help but glare at his abdomen.





	Sense and Sensibility

**Author's Note:**

> At last, the sequel to Pride and Prejudice, with James and Tony have a good bitch to each other
> 
> In case you missed the tags, this isn't Wanda friendly, she is an adult, and Steve is not a good bro

“I know this place is a secret but why has J got me checking on you for, and I quote “performing evasive manoeuvres to evade Mister Rogers and exhibiting questionable vital signs?” Stark announced himself as he sat down next to James on the dirt, Alexandra wandering off. He sighed, not bothering to look over at the other man. Instead he kept his focus on Ana, who was curled with her head on his lap and enjoying being scratched.

 

“Didn’t want to deal with Steve and his ‘can we have a chat Buck? You’re not acting like yourself’ shtick. So I tricked him into going down the same stairwell that I went up. Jarvis helped.” The dull bitterness in his voice kept Stark quiet a minute. It was a glorious day up in the garden, and any other time James would have encouraged Anastasia to go play in the grass and stretch her legs, but they were both upset and if James and his daemon got clingy, who fucking cared?

 

The silence was eventually broken by Alex, taking her favourite spot on the biggest rock nearby and huffing contentedly. Stark must have seen that as invitation to continue the conversation since he jumped right in.

 

"So what happened that had you pulling spy tricks on Rogers?"

 

"Maximoff stole my lunch again. Don't laugh I know it sounds stupid. Just, dammit," James scrubbed his hands over his face and tried to ignore his rumbling stomach. Stark thankfully wasn't laughing, just sitting patiently in well-stained workshop clothes.

 

"I was late to lunch and I don’t know what Maximoff had made for herself but she made a hell of a mess right? And she hadn't cleaned anything up. Which meant I had to clean up everything without any help _cause she's just a kid Buck_ -" Stark snorted at his awful impersonation of Steve "- and the others were eating. So I cleaned the bench before I made my own lunch and by the time I'd done all that, she'd decided she wanted more to eat and used her stupid magic to steal all of it!"

 

"You got pissed off in front of Steve, didn't you?"

 

"Of course I did! She'd already eaten and I was late before cleaning her mess and she went and took my food! None of the others said anything either. Like I get it, I'm not Steve, I'm used to functioning at my best on the bare minimum of food but even fucking Hydra didn't steal my meals out from under me."

 

His stomach chose that moment to rumble louder, as if to illustrate the point. James couldn't help but glare at his abdomen. Stupid serum metabolism. Stupid Maximoff and her stupid snake daemon. Anastasia nudged his leg and he resumed petting her.

 

"So what did you do? Steal it back?"

 

"Ana got up on the table and growled in her face while I grabbed it back. And Steve didn't like any of that and tried to touch me and Ana, get her to back off and I nearly stabbed him with a spoon. Cause," and here the voice returned; " _what are you doing Buck, she's just having fun you can make some more. You know not to behave like this Bucky, get Anastasia off the table now Bucky, she’s hungry too Bucky, you can't threaten your teammates Bucky._ My name isn't even Bucky for fucks sake!" Stupid Steve and his fucking Chihuahua.

 

"Noted. Did you get to eat your lunch though?" James shook his head.

 

"Don't know if you can hear my stomach or not but no. Threw the plate on the ground and told her she could do the dishes this time. The plate broke by the way sorry, I'll replace it asap."

 

Stark just waved him off.

 

"Don't worry about it, there's a reason I bought ugly plates for the common area. And yeah I heard, hard not to. Thought it might have just been from getting food after so long. You want something to eat?"

 

"If you're offering, I'd love something. Don't really want to go back there just yet."

 

"J, order something that'll feed a hangry super-soldier, and have it delivered to his rooms would you? Any preferences?" Stark spun to face him, eyebrow raised.

 

"Something bland, please Jarvis? Still getting used to food.” Stupid Hydra and their stupid feeding tube. There might have been a reason no one wanted to steal Asset-grade nutrition sludge.

 

“Certainly, Sargent Barnes. Would you like some poached eggs on toast too, since you didn’t get to eat what you made earlier?”

 

“That would be amazing Jarvis. And thank you, for this.” He directed the last part at Stark, finally looking over at the other man. He looked tired, more so than usual. Anastasia’s tail twitched.

 

“You are most welcome, Sargent Barnes. Order placed, estimated arrival time: three quarters of an hour. I have also ordered eggs and toast for you too, Sir, seeing as you haven’t eaten in the last twelve hours.” The AI responded.

 

“I’m fine Jarvis,” Stark scowled. “I’m not hungry and I’ve had a couple of smoothies. Cancel it.” Before Jarvis could respond, Stark’s own stomach made a noise of protest. He muttered ‘traitor’ and even Alexandra looked a little miffed at being caught out. Ana let out a quiet purr and snuggled into James’ lap even further. She couldn’t quite curl up on him but they made it work.

 

The four sat in silence, soaking in the sun until Stark spoke up again.

 

“Okay, your comment about Hydra not stealing your meals, I hate to ask a stupid question, but has anyone told you that Maximoff was Hydra?” James huffed and Anastasia growled until he shushed her, holding her close.

 

“Yeah, Steve mentioned it just before the airport I think, I uh, kinda freaked when I saw her powers. Never really got any details other than that.” Stark was quiet next to him, something that didn’t bode well. Eventually he sighed and ran his hands through his mess of hair.

 

“Fuck, I wish this wasn’t me but you deserve to know.” He couldn’t help the face he made at that. Stark turned and pointed a finger at him, an intense look on his face.

 

“Nope, none of that, Snowflake. What’s done is done and if I still had issues with you I wouldn’t be sitting here now would I? Got it?” He waited till James nodded before settling back onto the dirt.

 

“She was Hydra and she volunteered, both her and her twin did. They were legally adults, they weren’t tricked or anything, and the only reason they did a one-eighty on their plans was because the robot I made was out to kill the world, not just me. That’s how she got her powers too, by the way.” Stark was subdued but spoke as though he was ripping off a Band-Aid. Anastasia cuddled closer.

 

“So she’s not a kid and she wasn’t a kid when she joined…” James’ insides felt like concrete, hunger completely gone. “Steve mentioned she was like me, that we’d both been mistreated by Hydra. She wasn’t, was she?”

 

“All the records we recovered from the 2014 data dump and further intelligence raids suggest the pair weren’t given a lot of freedom but they were considered prize pets – whether that was from fear of their powers or because Strucker was Hydra’s idea of a humanitarian, I don’t know. There’s nothing to suggest they were treated anything like you were, Barnes.”

 

“Every time she uses her magic around me I get this feeling like I’m missing something important. Memories,” he clarified. “Her magic makes me scared.” He hunched in on himself, holding Anastasia close and toying with her fur. He didn’t want to admit it but he was. Ana tensed any time the red wisps came close and his fingers itched for a knife. He could taste the metal of the mouth-guard every time she used it to steal his food or the remote to change the TV to something _she_ wanted to watch. And Steve let her every single time, Barton and Romanoff too.

 

Silent as always, Alexandra appeared out of the grass, nudging Stark’s face before settling on his legs. The engineer sighed and ran a hand down the lioness’ back.

 

“Me too, Snowflake. I’m just lucky she didn’t mind-whammy me like she did the rest of the team. Still scares the pants of me – and not in the fun way. Any chance she has, she uses it in front of me. It’s part of why I left. You know,” Stark’s voice lightened a little, forced into a cheerful pitch; “with her powers she could do her share of the housework without having to leave her seat. Didn’t Hydra teach basic manners class?”

 

James huffed at the idea.

 

“Dunno, they might have wiped that bit. That or there was a schedule clash with ‘how to fight multiple opponents with a knife embedded somewhere important in your body’.” Stark laughed at that, more genuine than before and James couldn’t stop the grin creeping onto his face. Steve would have been horrified, pulled him into the hallway and tried to reprimand him. He didn’t know the details of Afghanistan but Stark understood. It was… it was nice.

 

“Now that’s just poor organisational skills on their part. On that note, our food is probably about here. Jarvis?” Stark asked as he stood and brushed the dirt from himself. James did the same, Anastasia stretching thoroughly before settling next to him.

 

“The delivery person has just been admitted through reception, Sir.”

 

“Perfect. Go and eat Snowflake. And do some research, ask around, if you need me Jarvis or Friday can point you in the right direction.”

 

With that, Stark nodded and left, Alexandra by his side. James stood there another minute, playing the conversation over in his head.

 

“Jarvis?”

 

“Yes Sargent Barnes?”

 

“Can you charge my food to my account? And help me find a new plate that’s ugly enough for the kitchen?” The AI made a sound that could have been amusement, and James couldn’t help his confusion.

 

“The meal was put on Sir’s account as a gift, Sargent. As for a replacement plate, Sir was sincere when he said not to worry but I’m sure the care would be appreciated.”

 

“Thanks Jarvis.”

 

 

When he made it back to his room, his lunch was sitting on the table and still warm. With a satisfied stomach and Jarvis’ help, he found the ugliest plate he could on the internet.

 

And just for the hell of it, he bought a second one for Jarvis to sneak into Tony’s rooms.

**Author's Note:**

> Life has been pretty busy, and this is actual a rewrite of what I had for this request. Unfortunately, the original glossed over the bitching and James getting to meet the bots (that's on its way, don't worry!) so I started over. I'm much happier with this version.
> 
> I'm on break but I'm catching up on life things so I'm going to try get lots done so that I can post things next semester and not neglect my fics or my study - education before fanfic.
> 
> I hope you lovelies enjoyed it, comments and kudos are always appreciated,
> 
> Love,  
> Sheep x


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